Heston Blumenthal restaurant shut after vomiting virus outbreak

A vomiting virus has shut down one of Heston Blumenthal’s restaurants (Picture: PA)

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has had to close one of his restaurants in central London after diners were taken ill with a vomiting virus.

The Dinner restaurant in Hyde Park was temporarily shut after it suffered an outbreak of the norovirus that caused 24 customers and 21 staff members to be taken ill.

Blumenthal was criticised for his slow response when another one of his restaurants, Fat Duck, had a similar outbreak in 2009.

This time around he has acted quickly but admitted the closure of his London restaurant could come across as ‘rather extreme and overcautious’.

‘My goal has always been to pursue perfection in the kitchen and to amaze our guests with taste sensations beyond their imagination, rather than expose them to the risk of a really nasty couple of days of heaving,’ Blumenthal told the Mail on Sunday.

Westminster City Council agreed with his actions and said it had advised the eatery’s management to improve hygiene procedures.